GOOD NIGHT, STINKY FACE

In a new entry in the popular series, Stinky Face and his mama together imagine all that could go wrong at bedtime.

The young boy weaves a fabulous tale in which his dripping faucet becomes a waterfall, his bed turns into a cricket-powered flying boat, and they sail to an island where the animals host an all-night pajama party. Eventually, with the help of his mother’s patient responses, the boy imagines himself back home tucked into his own bed. Moore’s full-bleed double-page spreads, which look to be colored pencil and watercolor in deep colors, are satisfyingly busy. The playful bond between the blond, white mother-and-son pair is palpable. However, the 5-by-6-inch board-book trim size is a poor fit for these boisterous images and wordy exchanges. Spreads seem oddly cropped, the text overcrowds many pages, and it sometimes looks as if Stinky Face’s head is going to bump against the top edge of the page. The text is too long for most babies and toddlers, who are the core board-book audience.

A delightful read that really needs a larger canvas in a full-size picture book.